Our FIRST Journey

Preface

Team 5773 Ink and Metal was founded in 2011 by a group of curious high school students at American High School in Fremont, California. Since then, the team has been on a rewarding journey.

Since the team advanced to the World Championship in 2019 for the first time, it has become our team's ultimate goal to have a shot at competing at the highest level once again, while inspiring and helping as many teams as possible along the way. This, of course, is made more difficult by competing in Northern California; many teams in this region are elite competitors, worthy of competing at the World Championship. Our team now is not the same team from five years ago. The FIRST Tech Challenge has become the forefront of many members' dedication. This is apparent through the multitude of unique stories.

None of it would have been remotely possible without the amazing people behind the wheel. The members who pushed the team through this drastic change are the alumni you will be hearing from in the rest of the book. It seemed that every week, each member experienced a distinctive story; with each story came knowledge. Ink and Metal is made special by these stories. As each alumni moves on in their professional careers, we found it important to solidify their stories, knowledge, and advice in a record. We wanted to make sure their legacies are not forgotten, and remain for members of Ink and Metal and teams across the globe to read, understand, and share. Through this book, we are remembering and sharing the experience that makes our team special. Moreover, the alumni provide excellent pieces of advice for any individual or team to follow. From their years of experience, they have truly a valuable insight on how to approach the FIRST Tech Challenge. We hope you are looking forward to learning more about FIRST, the competition, and our team. So, buckle up, and get ready to be inspired.

- Waleed Yagoub, Senior at Ink & Metal